


The ace of hearts

by Daddys_whiskey



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aggressive Pining, Armitage Hux & Phasma Friendship, Armitage Hux Smokes, Card Games, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kissing, Millicent the cat - Freeform, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Stuttering, Walking anxiety attack Mitaka, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24153583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daddys_whiskey/pseuds/Daddys_whiskey
Summary: Long ago someone told Phasma that love is blind, but she has never understood it until she caught feelings for Dopheld Mitaka.
Relationships: Dopheld Mitaka/Phasma
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	The ace of hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This ship is honestly the most underrated thing in the world. Shout out to my niece for being a darling.

“He has been betrayed a few times,” Hux crossed his legs as he sat down and let Millie lay on his lap. The general was probably the closest person to Mitaka in the First order, a false rumor had it they were even relatives of some sort.

“Betrayed?” Phasma inhaled with a mix of disbelief and indignation. She could not hold herself firm, could not understand how and why would somebody stab Dopheld in the back, especially multiple times. Captain felt like her eyes were struck with sunshine, that’s why she didn’t see what everyone else saw as Mitaka’s faults worthy of betrayal.

“Yes,” Hux replied scratching Millie behind her ear, as if he didn’t notice Phasma’s disturbance. “You know those pop-up officers who would sleep with anyone to get a higher rank. As I recall, there were at least two of this sort who thought romancing with a lieutenant would help them,” he paused to light up a cigarette.

“And?” Phasma asked calmly, yet impatiently, wondering what has happened her cool collected mind.

Hux grinned, his lips blowing puffs of smoke, “And that didn’t work. So each of them left while he trusted them with his life.”

The general looked exhausted by this interrogation and refused to say anything else, so captain thanked him and left. All the way to her quarters and while removing her armor she kept repeating in her head what Hux told her: _Dopheld Mitaka’s heart has been broken. Multiple times._ Everything was vile about it but Phasma lost her train of thought as her breastplate reflected the light so violently it made her blind for a second. She shove the armor in her closet like it was evidence against her, changed into a black tracksuit and dimmed the lamps a little. As the shift was over, Phasma expected guests (visiting each other after work was a tradition among the high-rank officers), but definitely not Armitage, even if he would come she would kick him out and give him an order to go take an eight-hour nap, even if he outranks her. There was a possibility Ren together with one or two of his knights would show up for a “very very private conversation about something very very important”. Phasma was preparing herself for another debate about the color of conference hall walls.

There were three quiet knocks on the door. This is either Dopheld or Kylo or Armitage. It was like a secret password between the four; Phasma approached the door instantly and opened. She had to gaze down a little so her eyes would meet Mitaka’s. As always, he looked so neat there was an instinctive urge to make his hair messy and his uniform scruffy and worn. Dopheld brought no one with him. Phasma was never left with him on her own, so she was intrigued as he seemed so vulnerable, everything including his behavior could be out of his control and it felt, at least to Phasma, like he couldn’t escape (there was frenzied excitement in that thought). On the other hand, captain herself often bewared frankness, she felt exposed and almost naked.

“Hi, Phas,” Dopheld said with a little smile. “Everyone else seems to be busy, so I’m all alone.”

Phasma smiled back, “Go in, Mitaka,” she replied.

Lieutenant entered the living room, immediately taking off his hat and leaving it on the coffee table when he sat down on a chair.

“Are we gonna play anything?” Phasma raised her brow.

“Let me think,” Mitaka muttered. “Cards?”

“Alright,” captain giggled. Games were the best amusement, Mitaka was considered a champion in chess although usually lost in the game of cards and could only beat Ren. “But only if we play for a wish,” Phasma added, almost regretting that as it was wicked to exploit the situation when one of the players was so likely to lose.

“Sure,” Mitaka interrupted her thoughts with his voice so sweet and so soft that Phasma felt disoriented and had to catch her breath before she could finally get the cards, put them on the coffee table and sit down in an armchair opposite the lieutenant.

It would be ignorant to deny that captain Phasma was obsessed with Dopheld Mitaka. She no longer acted like he was “her number one lieutenant” and started treating him like she’d treat a man. She expected her heart to be a frozen lake: there might be undercurrents of cold water but nothing would ever overcome the thick transparency of ice with air bubbles and feelings trapped in it, too feeble to escape through thin white veins of cracks. When Mitaka glanced at Phasma with his deep almond-shaped eyes which always had that inquisitive look in them, she realized: there was never a lake. There was a sea growling behind her sternum, pale green waves splashed forcefully over the rocks, sometimes breaking off pieces of stone and drowning them, hitting each other and wrestling to death like the wild beasts in the outskirts of the galaxy.

Dopheld was the shining sun. Despite his dark eyes and hair, his careful shy smile could make Phasma visionless. She could only reflect the light like the moon does, could only polish her armor better. Captain could only hope that Mitaka would notice her struggle, unease, and in her thoughts she begged him for help, an answering feeling, his hand in hers, his head on her shoulder. Another part of her, the sturdy and vehement part, wanted to kick the lieutenant out of balance, diligence and discipline. Phasma wanted to see Dopheld lose control but she treasured him and felt protective of him too. Her love and its contradictions spilled in her lenses and made her vision blurry like a cataract.

Meanwhile, the game was getting heated up. Suits and numbers of cards were changing rapidly, Mitaka was doing very well, a mention of the wish seemed to give him motivation. He used his teeth to take off the black gloves and he even unbuttoned his collar; Phasma fought a sudden desire to touch Dopheld’s neck, not in a choking but in a cherishing manner, his skin must’ve been particularly sensitive there.

“Dopheld, can I ask you a few questions?” Phasma said like she had already won the game.

“Sure,” lieutenant answered tilting his head back a little and glancing over the pile of cards on the coffee table.

“Tell me about your exes.”

Mitaka made a suppressed moan and shut his eyes, he was probably asked about the situation over a thousand times. “There were two of them. The first one was n-nice,” he stuttered, long ago captain noticed that he did it when he was stressed. “But at s-some point she went all...cold and acted like nothing happened. The second was...a month later, she was soft but a liar and she broke up with me anyway.”

“Are you heartbroken?” Phasma kept pushing, her desire to see Mitaka desperately out balance was making her palms sweat.

“Actually, not at all l-lately. S-something happened. _Someone_ happened,” Dopheld gazed away.

“Who is it? A crush?” Captain waited for Mitaka to nod and decided to approach from a slightly different direction. “What’s your type?”

“She-she’s...” Mitaka swallowed, sighed and fearlessly looked straight into Phasma’s face, studying it, squinting. “Higher rank than me. She’s strong. She has a strict face and blue eyes. Her hair is kinda wavy.” Phasma touched her head to check whether the blond curls matched Dopheld’s description. “She’s very stable too...she’s reliable.” Captain gave a puzzled look at the cards she held in her hands. She could as well call herself all of those lovely adjectives, which Dopheld gave her like a riddle.

“Do I know her?” she pronounced, in her head scanning through all the female officers she’s ever known. Captain tried not to let jealousy immerse her like it was the tide and she was the shore, although it was better than fooling herself to think that Mitaka was talking about her right now.

“You do,” Mitaka sounded like he was the one trying to snap Phasma’s self control.

“Well, I’ll seek out for her!” she laughed louder and more nervously than she expected as she sensed the tension rising, air thickening like a smell of ozone before a thunderstorm. “Is it okay if I ask one more question?”

“Yes, of course,” lieutenant looked up like he was on the bridge and ready to serve.

“Do you trust me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why?”

“You’ve always supported me and forgave me when you weren’t supposed to, I guess. Like when you brought me to infirmary after Ren, y-you know... And you’ve always h-helped me to calm down too,” as he finished, Phasma gave up on waiting, it was her turn and she covered the card Mitaka laid previously with an ace of hearts. She won. Pride made her drunk, her mind was sore with adrenalin, her eyes clouded with feeling.

“Oh, dear...” Mitaka exclaimed very quietly, the tips of his ears flushing with crimson when he put the cards away. “W-what was your wish?”

Phasma took a deep breath as she got ready to announce what she wanted, it was like inflicting a final strike. Mitaka’s anxious, high-octane, anticipation is flowing in his veins and he has no weapon: no one in the room to stop them, no formalities, no extra eyes, no politeness, just the affection Phasma has always had and couldn’t express before.

“Kiss me, Dopheld,” she stated, almost ordered with calm determination, her voice was barely different from when she was wearing a helmet. Phasma stood up from the armchair and walked up to Mitaka, who was hesitant, like he wasn’t sure whether he should execute the deserters on his first mission. Lieutenant turned away his blushing face and rubbed his temples, long trembling fingers lost in his hair. Just to distract and calm him down, captain asked what would his wish be if he won.

“I’d get you ready for the next informal occasion. Help you choose a dress and do your makeup and...and stuff,” Dopheld smiled standing up and approached Phasma, put his hands on her shoulders, gazed into her eyes. He was out of balance, his feverish cheeks were red like alarm lights on the bridge, his eyes were wet, black and wide. Mitaka’s whole body swayed, his face was hypnotic, even though he looked enchanted himself. Dopheld clung onto Phasma and kissed her on a cheek briefly, innocently, like she’s just came back from work and he’s been waiting for her. This thought was like playing with white fire.

“Oi, a proper kiss,” Phasma interrupted sooner than Mitaka pulled away, his breath hit her chin, he was that close. Dopheld smelled like fresh cotton and carnation flowers; he repeated captain’s words thoughtfully and slowly, like he struggled to understand their meaning as he stood up on his tiptoes. Everything was electrified. The silence was absolute, it seemed menacing, similar to the one before explosion, which came with Dopheld’s lips, pink, small and delicate, velvet-soft, dry and unbearably hot; his kiss was gentle. Mitaka tasted like a star could taste. Once, Hux served Phasma a cup of the finest tea in his collection and couldn’t stop ranting about how it got fermented and transported and how the leaves would be pressed into different shapes once dry and how his favorite shape was a pumpkin because it was quite cute and was a gift for an emperor. That tea was the same color as Dopheld’s irises, it was astringent on the tongue, its flavor wasn’t strong or sweet but it’s elegant simplicity got stuck in the mouth for a long time and right now Phasma recognized it.

Mitaka pulled her closer, hugged her around the waist as she held the back of his head, not letting him go. The kiss was getting deeper, it couldn’t, it just couldn’t be as passionate for a dare, a favor, it had so much more worth for a mere game of cards. Dopheld’s hands rubbing Phasma’s back, the gasp on his lips when her tongue slid across them, that couldn’t be won. Captain felt pierced with neon-blue lighting, the thunder was her own pulse booming in her ears when Mitaka’s tongue traced her soft palate. This was as good as being caught up in a battle, yet dangerous in a different way, Phasma thought of that running her fingertips along Dopheld’s throat, feeling his Adam’s apple jump under her thumb.

Phasma had to end the kiss, her head was spinning around and her legs could hardly hold her weight. Lieutenant looked at her with a sweet disappointment, like a lover’s face when he has to part with his significant other for a couple of weeks, grinning widely, absently before falling into Phasma’s arms, cuddling her around the neck. Phasma stroked Mitaka between his shoulder blades, soothing, conveying a “don’t worry” type of message. The height difference was rather handy now, Dopheld’s face hidden in the curve between captain’s strong shoulder and her long neck.

This was not part of the deal. Mitaka was supposed to kiss her on the lips, that’s it. No hugs were planned, although Phasma would rather die than point this out. She encased Dopheld in her tight embrace, trying to shield him from the rest of the world, hoping that this moment would last for eternity. Captain didn’t remember the last time someone was that close, the last time someone touched her and the last time she felt this strange sparkle right under her diaphragm, a little charge of electricity. It was probably what others called “butterflies in the stomach”, but Phasma couldn’t say for sure. She pressed her cheek against the lieutenant’s head, him nuzzling to the soft fabric of her clothes.

“I have to go, Phas,” Dopheld whispered with intense sadness in his voice, unintentionally tickling captain’s shoulder with his lips. She let go of him reluctantly, frowning, but Mitaka made her smile by looking at her one more time, smirking naively. He was adorable beyond words, pulling on his gloves and grabbing the hat in a fuss. Phasma followed Dopheld to the door, feeling dizzy and leaning on the walls when possible.

“See you tomorrow, Dopheld,” captain said as she opened the door.

“See you,” he answered warmly, lingered his gaze on Phasma’s hand and then left quickly.

Captain closed the door, went into her bedroom and fell broken on her bed, which never seemed so soft before. Her empty eyes stared at the blank ceiling.

Dopheld obviously had feelings for Phasma: it was written all over his stupid beautiful face, he basically admitted it when he hugged her, showed how needy he was, how he was possibly touch-starved. The look in his eyes, the color in his cheeks spoke what he didn’t admit. Was everybody else that busy or Mitaka just wanted to speak to Phasma alone? Why would he agree to kiss her if he didn’t want to? He was a bit anxious at first, sure, but it’s not like captain was forcing him to, it’s not like there was a blaster pointing at his temple, it’s not like he couldn’t leave. The crush that lieutenant described, wasn’t she suspiciously similar Phasma?

Mitaka liked her and captain will make him admit it, regardless whether he’ll confess to her or someone else first; gossip spreads around the order like a loathsome disease anyway: it circles from petty officers all the way down to the stormtroopers and back to the officers again, who’s thoughts and giggles are overheard by Ren, who whispers them into Hux’s ear. Furthermore, Phasma will make Mitaka _love her._ She’ll make him _need her_ the way she can’t leave him.

Dopheld mentioned Phasma’s hair, didn’t he? Captain decided that tomorrow, when she’ll appear on the bridge, her helmet would be off and her hair will be styled as well as the regulations can let, her armor will be cleaned and polished so impeccably well, that all of the crew will see their disfigured crooked faces in it. When Mitaka will turn around and offer Phasma a placid smile, the light, the beam of it will reflect off the silver surface and shine into his eyes, blinding him like he blinded Phasma, a peculiar revenge of a moon to prepare for the sun in the morning, when they meet. It seemed, when both captain and lieutenant won’t see a thing, they’ll be in the same level, they will feel the same towards each other. Phasma promised, she’ll make Dopheld adore her as she adores him, obsessed and wrought up. She’ll get him to talk in his sleep, Mitaka will call out her name every night when his hand is moving fast under the blanket and his breath is shallow and the air in his bedroom seems flaming hot. Captain would push the lieutenant into feelings to be engulfed, till he’s not able to contain them anymore, till he surrenders. Once he will enter a relationship with her, Phasma will get what she wants. She’ll call Dopheld hers.

**Author's Note:**

> The tea mentioned is based on pu’er tea.


End file.
